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Introducing the GTC Networks.
Good teaching needs good networks and good networks need good teachers.
The GTC Networks provide support by linking teachers nationally and putting them in touch with the latest research and evidence. They let teachers have a voice at national debates on changes to education.
A great Deal of CPD: organising a personalised training day
Dawn Lawrence-Hearn organised a personalised training day for the Deal and Sandwich cluster, using the expertise within the network to great effect.
The cluster is made up of four secondary schools, one of which is a grammar school, and 20 primary schools.
Dawn says:
’There was a feeling that expensive training courses for one member of staff or one speaker to a whole school did not always focus upon the individual training requirements of a whole school staff. We wanted to do something which would have longer term benefits.’
What was it?
There were 76 workshops, run by in-house experts and external facilitators such as first aid trainers and autism specialists. Each member of staff was asked to make six choices of workshop they would like to attend, of which three would be allocated.
Two secondary schools hosted the workshops.
Why organise the day?
- To build on the emerging strong collaboration between the 22 schools, evident particularly at Key Stage 5.
- To build a stronger partnership with the feeder primary schools by developing primary transition projects.
- To utilise the extensive teacher learning which had taken place over previous years. This included:
- extensive subject knowledge
- a wealth of experience of teaching a wide variety of age groups
- in-house training received in ‘Teaching and Learning’ meetings
- external courses that had been attended
- knowledge gained from putting ideas learnt into practice.
- To meet Walmer Science College’s CPD development plan objective ‘to make more effective use of learning outcomes from CPD’ by sharing information and ideas with other colleagues.
- To meet individually agreed performance management objectives
How was it organised?
Before the day:
- All of the cluster schools provided details of the workshops they could offer – drawing particularly on the secondary schools – and what development needs there were, focusing particularly on the primary schools.
- A booklet of workshops was compiled by the head teachers at two secondary schools.
- Teachers’ choices of workshops were put on a spreadsheet in order to work out a suitable allocation for each person.
- Registers were sent to each workshop leader to confirm and authorise the number of people in each workshop; this meant that the leaders could prepare their workshop tasks, knowing who their audience would be.
- Once received from workshop leaders, individual itineraries were sent to each teacher.
On the day:
- The event was structured in a parallel fashion across the two schools
- Each of the three workshop sessions lasted for 90 minutes, with a break in-between. Lunch was provided by the two secondary schools
- Some students from the schools were involved in assisting in car parking duties, directing staff to workshop venues and serving in the canteen.
Outcomes of the day
- Teachers and workshop leaders found the day ‘exciting’, ‘lively’ and ‘useful’. The day was judged beneficial to the teachers and the schools. Although the benefits for students have yet to be realised, there is a belief that there will be an impact due to there being ‘plenty of ideas to use across the curriculum’ and because the students saw the teachers engaged in their own active learning.
- Another advantage was the chance to network with colleagues from all the feeder schools.
- Follow-up sessions at both the secondary and primary schools are being planned by individual teachers to enhance transition work.
A sample of the workshops offered
- Promoting tolerance and understanding: how to organise a successful programme of interactive events to promote tolerance and understanding, including anti-bullying and disability, in conjunction with external agencies and organisations.
- Every Child Matters: ensuring your school is meeting requirements in its contribution to the outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda.
- Citizenship and PHSCE: focused on a sharing of information between the primary and secondary phases to examine what we teach in Citizenship as part of the PHSCE programme.
- Emerging extended school status: presented by staff who have been successful in their bids.
- Geography in Year 7: how geography is taught in Year 7 at Walmer School, including the different topics covered and why these are chosen at the beginning of the key stage.
- Podcasting in education: how to use podcasting to set up your own online radio station, and what the educational benefits are.
- Starting a school council: involving pupils in school decision making.
If you would like to find out more about the event, please contact Dawn at: dawn.lawrence-hearn@walmerschool.co.uk.
